Welcome to St. Mina Monastery
in Mariut on the Web!

This site is about St. Mina (Menas) Coptic
Orthodox Monastery in Mariut, near Alexandria, Egypt (Deir Mar Mina
in Arabic), its history, and its famous saints and their miracles.

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the left, you can browse the content of this site, including some rare video
clips and many photos and icons. You can always return easily to this page (Home).
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Introduction

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted,
tormented--of whom the world was not worthy.Hebrews 11:35-38

But now the LORD says: "Far be it from Me; for those who honour Me I will
honour, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed."1 Samuel 2:30

The
great martyr St. Mina was an Egyptian young man
who came from a large family, with rulers' status. He left the army to
live in the desert and be filled with the blessings of the heavens. He
then publicly declared his faith in Christ and was martyred for Christ's
beloved name, after suffering great tribulations.

God declared the greatness of this saint
through the blessings from his relics and
countless miracles at Mariut, Egypt. Several churches were built in his
name, in that area, the largest of which was the
great Cathedral (Basilica) built with seven altars by the Roman emperor
Arcadius. He built it with marble and precious stones, and along with
the other churches in the area, it attracted many pilgrims who visited the
site to receive the blessings of St. Mina. The area turned into a city
with homes, mansions, factories, markets and much more. This shows us the
saint's rank among Church saints.

Time passed and the area along with its
churches faced tribulations, then destruction.
Saint Mina's relics were moved from city to city in threat of being lost,
but God has preserved this saint's relics from many dangers that have
never come collectively across any other saint's relics; St. Mina's relics
have been thrown into fire and did not burn, but instead shone a bright
light. Every time these relics were lost or moved to another place, God
would show that they are the relics of his beloved soldier, the martyr St.
Mina.

Therefore, there is no doubt that it was God
who guided the late Pope Kyrillos (Cyril) VI
to revive the glorious memory of this magnificent saint, and to bring back
life to that land (Mariut) which St. Mina had once filled with life and
miracles. What Pope Cyril did was a noble accomplishment, which was itself
a miracle (more than anything) that God used to keep this saint's memory
alive. St. Mina's memory was brought back in an extraordinary way that has
left a flame burning in many people's hearts, until this very day.

The Pope's relationship with St. Mina goes
back to the years of his childhood. When he was ordained a monk, it was
God's will that Anba Youaness ordained him with the name Mina, in the
Baramos monastery. He became closer to St. Mina, by using him as an
example and praying for his intercession. When he was forced to leave the
windmill, he built a church in the saint's name in
Old Cairo; but that was not enough to quench his fire of love for this
saint. He kept sending requests for permission from the agency of
Archaeology to live in the lower room of St. Mina's ancient church in
Mariut (Abu Mena). His wait for an answer was
prolonged, but he remained persistent until he received the approval,
after the altar lot had announced him to be the new Patriarch of the See
of St. Mark. This was a sign from heaven that the Pope understood: that he
would not live in a room, which he remained persistent in getting, but
instead he would liven up the whole area after becoming Pope of
Alexandria.

Visitors to the Abu Mena region used to look
at it with sad heart, for the destruction that came about it. Today, they
can look at it from a joyful angle for the glorious works that Pope Cyril
has accomplished, in an area that was deserted for centuries.

He covered it with his faith and gave it his
building spirit. This gave the land the heart beat of life and raised the
voice of praises within it once again. Its old owner, the Martyr St. Mina,
returned to his land, dressing it once more with the attire of peace. The
Pope was never discouraged, from work, by the hardship of the way, his old
age, the danger of the place, the difficulty of bringing water or building
tools to it, and thus many miracles were
manifested on his hands.

The Pope sent to the agency of "desert
development" with a request to purchase 50 acres next to the ancient
city in Mariut and then another request for 50 more. In 1959, on the first
feast for St. Mina after the Pope's ordination a large festival tent was
put up. The Pope sent his secretary to pray evening raising of incense and
ensure that everything was ready for the feast's Holy Liturgy in the
morning. In the morning, his holiness prayed the hymns and the Holy
Liturgy. Those who received Holy Communion that morning were about 500 men
and women. He then went to the land, which he had bought from the agency
of desert development. He prayed, blessed it and placed the cornerstone of
St. Mina's monastery. During the feast,
the Pope was asked by some of those who were present to sit in the large
chair prepared for him but he refused saying: "This chair is for St.
Mina".

The two Alexandrian contractors, Sharobeem
and Farag Akladious, built a small church, two rooms for his holiness and
another for making the holy host. The Pope and those accompanying him
spent months in these two rooms with no safety nor rest, just to ensure
that the work is being completed.

The
Agency of Archaeology agreed to the transport of bricks, that had no
archaeological value, to use in the building of the monastery. The
students used tractors to transport these stones; it took two full years,
and a brick wall was built around about fifteen acres from the monastery's
land. Some monk cells were built along with another church, which was
blessed in a large celebration attended by thousands of people. Pope
Kyrillos' yearning for St. Mina's ancient
church pushed him to ride a donkey to the ancient church to receive
the blessing of St. Mina's land.

The ancient church or Basilica of Abu Mena
with its seven altars was taking Pope Cyril's mind, so he planned to build
something similar to liven up the memory of his beloved hero, who was once
visited in this same land by people from all corners of the Earth and all
walks of life seeking his prayers and intercession. The area occupied by
the new St. Mina Cathedral in Mariut is
more than that of the old St. Mark Cathedral in Cairo. Before his
departure in the Lord, Pope Cyril left 55,000 Egyptian pounds for the
completion of this cathedral to suit the glory of that heroic martyr, St.
Mina.

Front view of St. Mina Monastery in Mariut showing the church
of St. Mary and St. Mina (front left) and the new Cathedral with its two
towers (on the right in the back). A small chapel to the left of the church
of St. Mary and St. Mina (and connected to it with a short corridor - this chapel is not shown in this photo) previously had the shrine and relics of St. Mina. These are now located in the new Cathedral of St. Mina, which was inaugurated in January 2005.